Pongamia plant named &#39;K128b&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘K128b’ is a new  pongamia  plant distinguished by having consistent and abundant production of seed pods, coupled with the high oil content of the seeds.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Pongamia pinnata (L) Pierre

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘K128b’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of pongamia plant (Pongamia pinnata (L) Pierre) named ‘K128b.’ ‘K128b’ was discovered by the inventors growing in a cultivated area in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, wherein it and neighboring trees are grown for shade and other landscape amenities. The parentage of this tree is unknown, as is typical for trees cultivated in landscape plantings of this type.

‘K128b’ has been reproduced asexually through vegetative cuttings.

‘K128b’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct variety of pongamia tree (Pongamia pinnata (L) Pierre), named ‘K128b,’ which is distinctly characterized by a dense, spreading crown, and by regularly (e.g. annually or nearly so) bearing copious quantities of fruit pods containing seeds with high seed-oil content (38.5%, dry-weight basis). Pods tend to appear in dense clusters. ‘K128b’ demonstrates excellent vigor and is reasonably resistant to insect and disease pests.

The original clone (donor tree) of ‘K128b’ was initially identified and selected primarily on the basis of its consistent production of abundant seed pods, coupled with the high oil content (38.5%, dry-weight basis) of its seeds. Subsequently, branch cuttings were collected from the donor tree and rooted by treating the cuttings with the rooting hormone indolebutyric acid (IBA) using either an aqueous solution of IBA (500 ppm) or a commercially available rooting powder. Dehydration of the cuttings was avoided by placing them in moistened rooting medium within a humid enclosed chamber. Rooting success varied from one collection event to another, which is normal for cuttings from mature trees. Typically 10% or more of the cuttings initiated root development within 3-4 weeks. Cuttings have been rooted in the Brisbane area of Australia, as well as in Texas, U.S.A. These asexually propagated rooted cuttings remained true-to-type, and showed considerable resemblance among one another after accounting for differences such as variation in overall size of the cuttings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new pongamia tree is illustrated by the accompanying photographs, which show the plant's form, branches, foliage, leaves, trunk, pods, and seeds. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1—shows an overview of ‘K128b’ as seen from the street. The spreading crown bears dense foliage. The top of the crown has been periodically pruned to keep foliage away from overhead power lines.

FIG. 2—shows a close-up of the smooth bark on the trunk, illustrating mottled patches of lighter and darker gray.

FIG. 3—shows pinnately compound leaves illustrating variation in color from lighter to darker green. The leaf at the bottom is oriented to show the underside. Compound leaves typically bear 5-7 leaflets.

FIG. 4—shows pods (aligned in the top row) and seeds (bottom row). The pods are regularly elliptical in outline, but vary in size as shown. The brown to reddish-brown seeds also vary in size, with larger seeds being found in larger pods.

FIG. 5—shows a lateral branch representing the current year's growth flush. Leaves have been removed to illustrate six contiguous fertile nodes, each with an axillary rachis bearing one or more developing pods. The fruiting structure at lower left (arrow) illustrates a branched inflorescence.

FIG. 6—shows a compound leaf illustrating an anomalous pair of small basal leaflets in place of the normal larger leaflet (arrow points to pair).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘K128b.’

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Fabaceae.         -   Botanical.—Pongamia pinnata (L) Pierre; also called             Millettia pinnata (L) Panigrahi, Derris indica (Lam.)             Bennet, Pongamia glabra Vent, and Cytisus pinnatus (L).         -   Common name.—Pongam tree, or pongam oiltree.         -   Cultivar name.—‘K128b’. -   Plant description: -   Tree:     -   -   Size.—Modest size and stature, 5.8 m in height. Crown             diameter, measured at the drip-line in two dimensions, is             8.5×8.1 m.         -   Trunk.—The main stem is branched at a height of 1 m from the             ground, and subsequently branches several more times shortly             above. Diameter of the trunk immediately below the swelling             of the first branch is 28 cm. Tree crowns and trunks             continue to grow as trees age. A small number of epicormic             branches are visible along the trunk.         -   Bark.—Smooth, grey, with some lighter-color mottling. Faint             lenticular scars are visible as horizontal striations.         -   Form.—Decurrent crown form with dense, compact foliage.             Outer branches are arched downward without drooping. The             crown of ‘K128b’ was pruned periodically as part of a             maintenance routine to prevent unwanted interference with             overhead utility lines, and to minimize encroachment into             adjacent public spaces. -   Branches: The three largest branches of ‘K128b’ are located on the     main stem, just over 1 m from the ground. Their basal diameters are     18.5, 12.1, and 16.2 cm, and their color closely resembles the color     of the main stem.     -   -   Branching habit.—Many branched limbs. Growth and size of             lateral branches are considerably less than that of the main             branches. Many smaller branches occur higher in the crown.         -   Shoots and twigs.—Terminal buds are absent. Young shoots             emerge from naked lateral buds, with the most distal bud             giving rise to a terminal shoot.         -   Terminal shoots.—The seasonal elongation of terminal shoots             on main branches is considerable, ranging in length from             about 22-55 cm and encompassing 8-18 leaf nodes.         -   Lateral shoots.—Seasonal elongation of lateral shoots is             considerably shorter, ranging in length from 2-13 cm and             bearing only leaf 2-6 nodes.         -   Shoot and twig surfaces.—Woody twigs have leaf scars that             are 5.5-6.0 mm wide, showing traces of three vascular             bundles. The youngest shoots are distinctly green and             flexible, with no lenticels apparent to the naked eye. As             shoots mature, their color shifts from green to tan and             prominent lenticels become visible as raised light-colored             corky circles approximately 1.5 mm in diameter. -   Leaves: Pinnately compound leaves bear typically 5 or, more commonly     7 leaflets. Leaves are arranged alternately along the stem.     -   -   Size and shape.—The outline of a compound leaf is roughly             oval, with a length of 14-32 cm (average 24 cm) and a width             of 13-24 cm (average 20 cm).         -   Leaflets.—Blades of individual leaflets are oval to slightly             ovate with cuspidate tips and acute bases. Blades of             terminal leaflets range in width from 4.3 to 9.8 cm (average             7.8 cm) and in length from 5.3 to 11.8 cm (average 8.7 cm).             The smallest leaflets on a leaf tend to be basal, ranging in             width from 3.8 to 6.7 cm (average 4.8 cm) and in length from             4.2 to 10.2 cm (average 7.1 cm). A distinguishing anomaly on             some leaves of ‘K128b’ is that a basal leaflet is replaced             by two smaller and imperfectly formed leaflets. This was             observed on a relatively small proportion (<10%) of leaves.         -   Leaflet color, surface, and texture.—Leaflets are glabrous             on both abaxial and adaxial surfaces. Young leaves exhibit a             strikingly glossy cuticle on their adaxial surface. The             abaxial surface is a lighter green and is less glossy.             Leaflets turn a darker shade of green as they age and become             increasingly sclerophyllous.         -   Stipules.—A pair of small stipules subtends the youngest             leaves on a shoot. They remain for only a short duration             before they dehisce. -   Flowers and inflorescences: Hermaphroditic florets are borne on an     indeterminate inflorescence.     -   -   Inflorescence structure.—Several florets are clustered into             a fascicle node which are more-or-less evenly distributed             along a rachis. The entire inflorescence is a pseudoraceme.             Most inflorescences are unbranched, but some are branched.         -   Position in crown.—Inflorescences are borne in 4-6 basal             leaf axils of the current year's vegetative flush, near the             distal end of the prior year's shoot growth. An average             unbranched inflorescence encompasses over 50 florets, and             about 50% more on a branched inflorescence. Flower clusters             tend to be most common towards the outer surface of the             crown.         -   Florets.—Emerge acropetally from an ovoid calyx. Zygomorphic             florets consist of 5 pinkish-white petals: 2 keel, 2 wing,             and a standard (or banner) petal.         -   Flowering period.—Tends to flower later relative to other             pongamia trees in the general area (early December in             Brisbane, Australia). -   Fruits: Seed pods usually bear a single seed, infrequently two     seeds.     -   -   Shape and color.—Developing fruits first appear as             dark-green flattened pods, expanding in size into lighter             green and eventually tan-colored woody pods.         -   Crown distribution.—Pods can occur throughout the crown, but             are most prevalent towards the outer portions of the crown.         -   Fruit clusters.—Pods occur in clusters of 1-7, and are             connected by the rachis of the inflorescence from which they             developed.         -   Dimensions.—Pods range in size from 38-49 mm long, by 19-25             mm wide, by 8-11 mm thick, averaging 43.6×22.3×9.1 mm. Pods             range in shape from oval to half-moon, with an acuminate             tip, and average 1.26 g in weight. Fruits begin to ripen in             late October (in Brisbane, Australia), about 10 months after             flowering. -   Seeds: Typically borne singly in pods. Sometimes an aborted (and     much smaller) seed occurs alongside a fully-formed seed.     -   -   Seed coat.—Seeds are covered by a thin seed coat that is             beige to dark-brown.         -   Seed size.—Range in size from 16-20 mm long, by 12-15 mm             wide, by 5-8 mm thick, averaging 18×14×6 mm. Average seed             weight is 0.88 g.         -   Seed oil.—Oil content is higher than average, relative to             other pongamia trees, at 38.5% oil on a dry-weight basis.         -   Nut crop.—Regular bearer.         -   Crop frequency.—Most pongamia trees rarely produce abundant             nut crops across multiple years, instead bearing fruit             biennially or less frequently. ‘K128b’ is unusual in that it             bears fruit and seeds during most years.         -   Ripening.—Fruit ripening begins in late October and extends             into December. If undisturbed, pods remain in the crown for             several weeks after they ripen. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Pongamia pinnata (L) Pierre called ‘K128b’ as shown and described herein. 